Dessert is a must

dessert? What’s a meal Without

Even the simplest of meals are enhanced with some sort of sweet at the end of it.

Range from the fanciful to the plain – from the mochi in Japan, to the tiramisu of Italy to the cupcakes and fudge of America, to the coconut bread and pone in Barbados, some meals are just not complete without dessert. Some desserts are also dressed up breakfast, like scones, doughnuts and pancakes.

One thing most of them have in common, is chocolate, and right here in Barbados we have a dessert boss who excels at making chocolate desserts.

Had life gone differently for Clesita Moore, she would have been a different kind of boss as she won the first Barbados World Skills Competition 2012 in hairdressing with Barbados Vocational Training Board. But sometimes life is very kind, and her dexterity and creativity with hair was transferred to pastries and cakes.

In her profession, she has moved up from a trainee to a pastry cook and then to demi chef de partie to pastry chef de partie.

“I’m yet to make greater achievements!” declares Clesita, who switched from cosmetology because she realised very early her passion was for food. She revealed that her favourite dessert to make is Pâté a Choux pastry and her favourite dessert to eat is creme brûlée.

“A positive attitude and hard work will help me to become the best pastry chef I can be,” the modest Clesita said.

Here’s Clesita’s special recipe for truffles. Rum truffles • 17 oz heavy cream 35% • 3.5 oz unsalted butter • 4 oz Mount Gay rum • 31 oz dark chocolate 56% Coconut and whie chocolate truffles • 16 oz heavy cream 35% • 45 oz white chocolate 31% • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut

Directions:

Cut chocolate into small pieces. Boil cream, pour over chocolate and leave for two minutes and stir until the chocolate has completely melted.

For dark chocolate: Stir in rum and rest in the fridge until it’s firm enough to roll into balls. After rolling cover truffles with cocoa powder and keep refrigerated until it’s ready to serve.

For white chocolate: Stir in coconut and rest in the fridge until it’s firm enough to roll into balls. After rolling in balls, roll the balls in desiccated coconut and keep refrigerated until it’s ready to serve.